Under Aina Saiten’s skillful, soothing, and expertly distracting string of moves, the nearly shattered Kaoru Hoshitani was coaxed and persuaded until the turbulent waves of grievance and anger within him were, at least for the time being, pushed down.
His emotions were barely stabilized—at least on the surface, there was no longer any danger of tears rolling down his cheeks.
But this seemingly quick calming down wasn’t strange at all.
After all, not only had the two of them been living together as close lovers for three or four years, but counting from their youthful and inexperienced days, they had known and understood each other for well over a decade—nearly fifteen years.
In such a long span of time, which practically encompassed most of each other’s lives, the countless shared moments and experiences had long since allowed Aina Saiten to completely understand Kaoru Hoshitani—
From his subtlest bodily reactions to the most hidden corners of his personality, every single preference, every sensitive spot, every pattern of emotion’s trigger and ebb—
She knew them all like the lines on her own palm.
That was why, whenever night fell and all was quiet, or in the morning when she awoke and gazed at the beautiful boyfriend sleeping beside her—so unguarded, as though sculpted by an artist—Aina Saiten always felt a surge of mingled pride and possessive glee welling up uncontrollably in her heart.
After all, to those women outside who could only steal glances from afar or catch a fleeting glimpse, her boyfriend Kaoru Hoshitani was a distant, untouchable “Flower on the High Mountain”—cool, fragile, and beyond reach.
But who would know that, in the privacy away from all prying eyes, this very “Flower on the High Mountain” had already been picked by her own hand?
From spirit to body, every inch of skin, every reaction, had long ago been thoroughly, intimately “explored” and grown familiar, stamped with marks belonging to her alone.
Thinking back to the early days, during the first half year after they finally crossed that last boundary and tasted such intimacy, the shy and inexperienced Kaoru Hoshitani would face those moments like a delicate, bewildered doll.
Most of the time, he could only open those moist, nervous, and curious big eyes, pitifully and passively letting his more experienced girlfriend guide his body, leading him to explore a world of unknown sensations.
But lately, because of Aina Saiten’s own busy work and mounting pressure, her lack of energy had caused both the amount and quality of their time together to drop drastically.
All those playful, creative ways of being close that she used to relish had become impossible for them to relive.
After all, even just maintaining a normal frequency of intimate life had grown difficult; more often than not, things fizzled out midway due to one side’s exhaustion and the other’s hidden frustration.
Still, just because Kaoru Hoshitani had been coaxed by Aina Saiten into holding back his tears for now, didn’t mean he wasn’t still angry or had fully forgiven her.
No matter how eloquent and convincing Aina Saiten was at this moment, or how beautifully she painted the blueprint of their future, it couldn’t change the fact that she had completely left him out of the decision-making process about something as important as her resignation—something that concerned both of their futures—and not only made the decision on her own but also intentionally kept it from him.
That sense of being excluded left him feeling disappointed and disrespected.
He immediately turned his head away, the elegant lines of his jaw lifting slightly as he let out a whimper of grievance and dissatisfaction from his nose, then without even looking at Aina Saiten, turned and marched toward the Bedroom, his steps showing a hint of sulkiness.
But after all these years together, how could Aina Saiten not know what this little gesture from her boyfriend meant?
Clearly, he was planning to keep today’s “account” noted in his little book, waiting for the chance to quietly be upset at her later, using a cold and distant attitude to “punish” her.
She knew better than to let such a cold war take root—otherwise, it would be even harder to coax him later.
So she immediately strode after him, and just as Kaoru Hoshitani was about to step into the Bedroom, she suddenly reached out from behind, slipped her arms under his armpits and behind his knees, and with a deft motion, effortlessly scooped him up in a bridal carry.
Kaoru Hoshitani was light; for her, it was no effort at all.
“Ah—!”
The sudden sensation of weightlessness made Kaoru Hoshitani yelp in surprise—short and panicked.
When he realized he was being securely held in his girlfriend’s arms, princess-style, his fair cheeks instantly flushed a delicate pink—equal parts embarrassment and annoyance.
He immediately struggled and shouted in a commanding but utterly unthreatening tone, “What are you doing?! Put me down! Did you hear me?!”
Of course, Aina Saiten paid no heed to this kind of “threat,” which, to her ears, only made some deep, primal urge to conquer and excite her even more.
The corners of her mouth curled up with a pampering, irresistible smile.
Hugging the warm, soft, still slightly struggling body in her arms, she walked straight into the Bedroom, and with a bit of playful mischief, gave him a gentle toss toward the center of the soft Bed.
Kaoru Hoshitani felt the world spin for a moment, and then his back landed on the springy mattress, his body bouncing gently on the Bed before finally sinking into the fluffy bedding.
His silky black hair sprawled messily across the pillow, making his snow-white skin look even paler. In his embarrassment and frustration, his eyes flushed red at the corners.
“Are you crazy… idiot… just… mmph…”
Before he could finish his harmless and, if anything, adorably fierce scolding, Aina Saiten had already leapt onto the Bed, leaned down, and sealed his protesting, soft lips with hers, swallowing all the words that remained.
At first, he struggled a bit in stubborn protest, pressing his hands against Aina Saiten’s shoulders and trying to push her away.
But Aina Saiten, forceful yet gentle, intertwined her big hands firmly with his slender fingers, pinning them on either side of his body, and whatever resistance he had melted away like ice in the sun.
A faint, whimpering sigh escaped his throat; in the end, he gave up his futile resistance, let his long eyelashes droop and tremble, and instead, with a touch of reliance, tipped his chin up ever so slightly to meet his girlfriend’s deepening, soothing, and affectionate kiss.
Nearly ten minutes later, the Bedroom was quiet except for the ragged breathing of the two of them.
The air itself seemed several degrees warmer, thick with the heat and ambiguity created by the lovers entwined and kissing passionately on the Bed.
Kaoru Hoshitani lay on his back, breathing softly, his pale cheeks now completely flushed like the finest rouge.
The soft, casual T-shirt he wore at home had been rucked up during their kissing, thanks to Aina Saiten’s “restless” hand wandering along his waist and back.
The hem was now twisted up, exposing a slim, supple stretch of waist, the skin glowing with delicate luster in the dim light.
Right now, the young man’s clear, innocent eyes—once so pure, like a fawn’s in the woods—were now veiled in seductive, dreamy allure.
His gaze shimmered with tears, lips parted and red from the kisses, his expression drowsy with a trace of longing and anticipation as he looked up at the girlfriend supporting herself above him.
How could Aina Saiten not understand that look? It was his signal—after being soothed and aroused, he wanted to go further.
Even though seeing her boyfriend like this set her heart racing and her thoughts wandering, the last bit of reason told her:
If she didn’t leave now for the Interview, she’d be terribly rushed on the way, and if she was late and made a bad impression on the interviewer, all her efforts and secrecy would go to waste.
So, after a moment’s struggle, she finally looked at him with deep regret and reluctance, her hand gently brushing back the sweat-damp black hair from his forehead, fingers caressing his scalp, her voice husky from their kisses as she said,
“Sorry, Kaoru… I really have to go for the Interview now, I’m running out of time.”
She saw his eyes immediately dim with disappointment and quickly promised,
“Tonight… when I get back tonight, we’ll continue, all right? I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”
But as Kaoru Hoshitani listened to his girlfriend’s apologetic but unshakable words, his inner thoughts were both helpless and faintly resentful:
【You say that… how can I really be so unreasonable and drag you back, not let you go?】
“…Mm… you go ahead…” Kaoru Hoshitani lowered his gaze, long lashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyes, and replied softly, so quietly it was almost inaudible.
Then, he silently turned his body away, presenting his back to Aina Saiten, curling up on the Bed, and pulled the thin quilt over himself, covering every inch from head to toe, not a single strand of hair left exposed—like a sulking little animal, hiding itself away.
【Honestly… even if we really did something… it wouldn’t take long at all… anyway… all together, not even ten minutes… would it really make you that late…】